Clarisonic Mia Sonic Skin Cleansing System

So it’s time to review this. I’ve had it for a month and wanted to really test it out before I gave my verdict.

Since using this I have had maybe 4 spots, that’s it, and this is from someone who might have one come up every day. It’s a level of physical exfoliation that I’ve not used before and has completely changed the way my skin feels and behaves. As well as the Clarisonic, I still continued to use my Clinique Anti-Blemish 3 Step Skincare System, as I didn’t want to change this in order to keep a controlled element to the test, as I wouldn’t have been able to tell if my skin had improved because of this or the products.

Firstly, the product. I bought the Mia as I wasn’t really interested in the body element of the larger model and also travel a lot so wanted something more compact. The device comes boxed with a sensitive brush head, magnetic charger (so cool!), the device itself and a facial wash from Clarisonic. Even though it came with the sensitive brush head, they do others and in Space.NK, the pore cleansing brush caught my eye so I bought this to use instead as I do have problems with blocked pores on my nose. The magnetic charger is awesome! The device is waterproof you see, so this charger magnetises itself to the front of the device and magically starts to charge it. You need a good 24 hours charge before you use it, and I found you can get a good week out of the device before it needs to be charged again.

I wasn’t that interested in using the provided cleanser although I have heard it’s pretty good, but I actually used my Clinique Anti-Blemish Face Bar and rubbed it against the brush head with some water. Once the device is switched on, it starts to foam up. The amazingly helpful woman in Manchester’s Space.NK told me to go easy at first but as I’m an arrogant bugger sometimes, I thought hell to this, and went all out all over my skin, massaging it for at least 2 minutes on my first go. Needless to say that I wasn’t able to use the device for a good day or so after as I’d ‘burnt’ my skin from over exfoliation.

The rule is 10 seconds on each cheek, 20 over both the nose and chin, and then 20 across the forehead. As it’s the ‘sonic’ that does the work, as with the toothbrushes, you don’t need to press into the skin, just move in gentle, light, circular motions and this I find is actually more effective! I actually used it on my neck and found this helped with preventing ingrowing hairs. The only place you should avoid is the eye area as its not actually that necessary to exfoliate this part of your skin. Oh and when I first used it on my nose – if you’ve ever been to an Anne Summers party (don’t ask), they tell you how this area is one of the most sensitive parts of your body, and so it is – I giggled like crazy when using it here, but I’ve built up a little bit of a tolerance to it, but be warned!

I still used my Clarifying Lotion chemical exfoliator on the skin afterwards, which did feel a little more ‘zingy’ than normal. Multi-pronged exfoliation is still important as some dead cells do not come away with just physical exfoliation and only chemical will do and ‘dead’ skin cells are not at all beneficial to the skin. See how you feel though, its up to you how much exfoliation you think your skin needs/tolerates.

My moisturiser now sinks in like a dream, hardly even needs rubbing in as there’s no barrier preventing it from sinking in. I’ve found a massive reduction in excess surface skin oil and shine, and whereas by midday my skin looks like an oil slick, this has been massively reduced and I can only put it down to this as nothing else has particularly changed! Finally fake tan sits much better as well, and if you get the odd little mark or streak, this blends it out amazingly!

There is no score high enough to rate this product. At first when I saw it being put on the shelves at Selfridges, I thought, “£120 for a bit of a spiny electrical brush! Balls to it!”, how unbelievably wrong I was. This is now a product that I will use for the rest of my life if they still continue to make them.

The Clarisonic receives the Manface Recommended Award for outstanding innovation in the Beauty industry. I’ve never come across an electrical beauty product like this that is anywhere near as efficient and effective.

4 Comments

Great review! I’ve known about this nifty little thing for a short while only but the more I read about it the more I like it. Thanks for sharing the pros and cons and advise on using it for the first time. You definitely have me thinking I shouldn’t be without one! 🙂

Great review! I’ve known about this nifty little thing for a short while only but the more I read about it the more I like it. Thanks for sharing the pros and cons and advise on using it for the first time. You definitely have me thinking I shouldn’t be without one! 🙂

Oh I still love my Clarisonic but I find you cannot combine it with chemical exfoliants. It’s just too much so if I use this physical scrubber, I need to stick with something moisturizing/healing afterwards.

Careful not to go too close to the under eye area and be gentle around the nose. Broken capillaries are known to be a result!

Oh I still love my Clarisonic but I find you cannot combine it with chemical exfoliants. It’s just too much so if I use this physical scrubber, I need to stick with something moisturizing/healing afterwards.

Careful not to go too close to the under eye area and be gentle around the nose. Broken capillaries are known to be a result!